Anaheim Ducks: The Curious Case of Randy Carlyle
By Kennyth M
Why Randy Carlyle Needs to Go
The All-Star break was supposed to give the Anaheim Ducks time to get healthy and field a competitive roster for the season’s stretch run. The Ducks were 1 point out of a wildcard spot and Corey Perry, Jakob Silfverberg and Patrick Eaves returned from injury. Then, in the first game back from the break, a “White-out” happened.
On February 2, 2019, instead of mounting a playoff push, the Ducks surrendered 6 goals in the opening period verse the Winnipeg Jets. Mercifully, after 6 goals, Carlyle pulled John Gibson from the contest. Conversely, it was not without contention between himself and Anaheim’s players.
Initially, as captured by Winnipeg’s fed of the game, Carlyle refused to pull Gibby. Although his teammates don’t often defend him on the ice, Getzlaf was quick to come to his emotional aid. It was an ugly moment and the hockey world was collectively gasping at Carlyle’s idiocracy.
Goalie’s Confidence Reigns Supreme
By refusing to pull Gibson, I can only imagine Carlyle was trying to evoke an emotional response from his team. Whatever the reasoning, the head coach can’t jeopardize the psyche of the franchise’s most important player. Goaltenders perform off of confidence, so any actions negatively impacting their confidence in such a dramatic fashion is not acceptable.
To illustrate the impact this season has had on Gibson, according to nhl.com, he had a phenomenal .937% save percentage in the first month of the season. Since then, it has been on a steady decline. In January, his save percentage dipped to underwhelming .899%. February’s onslaught has the stud backstop posting a horrendous .775%. If this continues, GMBM risks doing permanent damage to the netminder “Mojo.”
Poor Line Combinations
One of the biggest issues plaguing Randy Carlyle, besides an outdated system, is his disastrous lineup decisions. Firstly, there was very little to gain from splitting up Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. The duo was highly effective in the defensive zone and provided a steady dose of offense. Secondly, Brandon Montour and Cam Fowler flourished once paired together during last seasons playoff push.
Both pairings, Fowler-Manson and Lindholm-Montour, looked lost this season and Carlyle didn’t revert his error in judgment until the seasons 53rd game. It’s just baffling how incompetently slow RC processes needed changes in the lineup.
Further proof of his incompetence is with Ryan Kesler. Kesler is beloved by fans, but it is painfully obvious his days as an offensive weapon are over. At this point in his career, Kes should strictly be deployed as a defense-only, 4th line center.
To Randy Carlyle, Kesler remains a top unit power-play performer and someone to rely on for offense late in games. To Carlyle, Kesler is among the first choices to send over the boards with the goalie pulled for the extra attacker. To Carlyle, the year is 2008 and his mind hasn’t adjusted to the realities of his roster construction and the changing style of the NHL.
If Anaheim is fortunate, Kesler will hang his skates up and focus on life post-hockey (while he maintains the ability to walk).